President Obama, Bill Gates Pay Tribute to Steve Jobs

The death of Steve Jobs has spurred reactions from around the globe, from customers to world leaders praising his genius and mourning his loss.

Among those paying tribute is President Barack Obama, who issued a statement shortly after Jobs’s death, from pancreatic cancer, was announced Wednesday.

“Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs,” Obama said. “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun.”

Obama added: “Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.”

President Bill Clinton issued the following sentiment: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Steve Jobs. His passion for his work and his courage in fighting his cancer were an inspiration to us all. Hillary and I will always be especially grateful for his personal kindness to us when Chelsea was at Stanford. Our thoughts and prayers are with Laurene and their children.”

On Thursday’s Today show, Jobs’s early business partner, Steve Wozniak, said that because of Jobs’s declining health he was able to prepare for this moment but that he was feeling the loss and was overcome with memories of many moments they shared. “People sometimes have goals in life,” he said. “Steve Jobs exceeded every goal he ever set for himself.”

Even Jobs’s onetime rival, Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and chairman, had words of remembrance. “Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives,” Gates said in a statement. “For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor.”

And, from Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and chief executive: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.”